Terminal member



Sept 22, 1936.

J. R. HOTCHKJN TERMINAL MEMBER Filed Sept. 13, 1954 I INVENTO famarloza/wzdflocZi-zn A ORNEY Patented Sept. 22, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE assignor to lhe Palnut Company, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey lrvingtcn.

Application September 13, 1934, Serial No. 743,823 3 Claims. (01. 247-1) This invention relates to improvements in terminal members and more particularly to improvements in devices combining the functions of locking members for securing threaded members to a body and the functions of terminals for electrical conductors.

'An object of the invention is to provide a lock nut for engaging the threads of a member and for serving as a ternrlnal for electrical conductors.

Another object of the invention is to provide. in a terminal member of the character described, means for facilitating the attachment thereto of electrical conductors.

Another object of the invention is to provide in nuts made of sheet metal a structure by which the attachment of electrical conductors thereto is facilitated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a nut constructed of sheet metal and having upstanding boundary portions with recesses extending inwardly from edges of the boundary portions for the reception of electrical conductors.

In accomplishing the. aims of the present invention a terminal member is made in the nature of a lock nut formed from relatively thin sheet metal. This lock nut has a thread engaging portion or portions and has upstanding boundary portions providing gripping surfaces for wrenches or other tools. Since it is sometimes desirable to use a nut of this character for holding a threaded member to another member in such fashion that the nut is in good electrical contact with the threaded member and for serving as a terminal to which electrical conductor or conductors can be attached, the boundary portions of the nut are provided with recesses for the reception of conductors. These recesses extend inwardly from an edge of the boundary portion and may be of .any desired shape. In some instances a single recess in a single boundary portion may suflice but in other instances it may be desirable to provide recesses in more than one of the boundary portions.

other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description, wherein Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, are perspective views 0! embodiments of the invention, and

Figure 6 is a sectional elevation of an installation wherein a terminal member made in accordance with the invention is used for locking a threaded member to a plate.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to Figure 6, III indicates a plate having an-aperture H therein. Extending throughthis suitable insulating material such as fibre, a phe- 10 "nol condensation product, etc. This last mentioned washer l8 serves to insulate the plate ill from a terminal member 20 which is threaded on to the neck I! to lock the container H to the plate l0. 15

The terminal member may be constructed in accordance with any one of the forms of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive. Each of the devices shown in these figures is constructed from sheet metal, being die stamped in such fashion as to provide a central opening 25, the material surrounding which is shaped to grovide a plurality of prongs 28. The prongs 25 are bent and in such fashion that they assume a slope corresponding tothe pitch of the threads of a bolt or similar member whereby the prongs can engage one complete turn of a bolt thread. Each member 20 is provided with upstanding boundary portions 21 bent at angles to the flat prong carrying portion of the nut in such fashion that the ends of each boundary portion contact with the ends of adjacent boundary portions. In this fashion faces for the engagement of wrenches or other suitable tools are provided.

When a nut of this character is to be used as a terminal member it is desirable that some means he provided for facilitating the attachment to the nut ofa single or a plurality of electrical con ductors. For this purpose a boundary portion- 21 of the device shown in Figure l is provided with a recess 30 extending inwardly from the top edge 3i of the boundary portion. This recess 30 is shown as having substantially parallel sidewalls 32 terminating in an arcuate shaped bottom 36. A single boundary portion 21 may be provided with the recess as shown in heavy lines in Figure l, or a plurality or all of the boundary portions 21 may be provided with similar recesses indicated in dotted lines in the same figure.

In the device shown in Figure 2 a boundaryportlon 21 is provided with a recess 35 in the nature of a slot extending into an enlarged circular slot determined by the wall 36. This slot closely resembles what is known in the art as a keyhole slot. Again a single boundary portion may be provided with such a slot or any or all of the boundary portions may have the slots as shown in dotted lines.

In the device shown in Figure 3 a boundary portion 21 is provided with a slot 40 extending inwardly from the top edge thereof and formed with substantially. parallel side walls 4| leading to an arcuate shaped bottom 42. These side walls M are inclined at an angle to the axis of the opening 25 so that retention of. a conductor in the slot is facilitated. .A single boundary portion or any or all of the boundary portions may be provided with these slots as shown by heavy lines and dotted lines in this figure.

In the device shown in Figure 4 a boundary portion 21 is provided with an upstanding tab 45 in which is formed a slot 46 extending ang'ularly upwardly from one edge of the tab- Such tabs may be provided on a single boundary portion of the nut or on any or all of the boundary portions. If desired all the boundary members save the one or ones provided with conductor receiving recesses may be omitted without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the device shown in Figure 5 one end of a boundary portion 21 is provided with a recess or slot 55 extending inwardly as shown in heavy lines. This recess is formed when the nut blank is stamped so that when the boundary portions are bent until their adjacent ends meet, the slot is closed by the end of the adjacent boundary portion. Thus a completely enclosed recess is formed. Any or all of the boundary portions may be provided with similar recesses as shown in dotted lines.

The operation and use of terminal members of the invention are substantially as follows:

The terminal members are particularly useful in connection with the assembly and construction of electrical equipment, particularly radio apparatus. In conjunction with radio apparatus let it be assumed that the plate ID of Figure 5 represents a part of the chassis of a radio receiving set. To this plate may be secured various types of electrical apparatus such as electrolytic condensers, etc. The casing M may be assumed to be the casing of an electrolytic condenser constructed'in such fashion that the casing itself serves as one terminal. Since it is desired that this casing be locked to the plate I!) the neck l2 of the casing is passed through the opening II in the plate and with the encircling gaskets I6 and H3 in place a terminal member 20 is threaded on to the neck l2. When the terminal member is tightened by a wrench or other suitable tool the fingers 26, which possess resiliency, are forced into gripping engagement with the walls of the neck thread so that the casing I4 is securely locked to the plate ID. This terminal 20 is thus in good electrical contact with the casing l4 and is insulated from the plate ill by the two gaskets I6 and i8. An electrical conductor indicated at 50 in Figure 5 may then be secured to the terminal 20 by placing the bared end of the conductor into the slot formed in a boundary member 21 of the terminal. The slot serves to aid in accurately positioning the conductor and also serves to retain the conductor to some degree. A drop of solder may then be utilized to secure the conductor in the slot. If more than one conductor is to be secured to the terminal member the various conductors can be placed in advantageously located slots in the terminal member and secured therein. a

In any form of the invention shown in the Figures 1 to 5 the recesses shown will serve to aid in positioning and retaining conductors until they can be soldered to the terminal member. If the keyhole slot of Figure 2 is utilized it will be seen that a conductor would have to spring directly outwardly along the axis of the terminal member to ,become disengaged from the slot. If the inclined slot of the device of Figure 3 is utilized a conductor would have to spring in an angular direction to become disengaged from the retaining walls of the slot. The same is true of the slots in the tabs 45 of the embodiment shown in Figure 4. If the device of Figure 5 is used, the conductor is introduced into the enclosed recess and spring in any direction other than the reverse of the direction of entry will not cause the conductor to become disengaged from the recess.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the terminal member of the present invention in any of its illustrated embodiments provides a new, simple and efllcient device both for locking a threaded member to another member and for facilitating the attachment of conductors to the terminal member. While the thread-engaging portion has been shown as being madeup of a number of spaced prongs it will be evident that a spiral solid wall with spaced ends as indicated in dotted lines irrFigdre 1 may be used or any number of prongs from two up may be used. When members constructed in accordance with the invention are used it is not necessary to utilize a separate terminal as has been the prior practice. Thus the invention may be said to combine in a single device thefunctions of an ordinary nut, a lock washer and a separate auxiliary terminal.

It will be understood from the foregoing description of the device that modifications can be made without departing from the scope of invention and accordinglyi any limitations imposed thereupon are to be only such as are set forth in the following claims. v

I claim: l

1. A device for securing a member having an externally threaded portion to a supporting structure and for making a good electrical connection between said threaded portion and a conductor, said device comprising an orificed sheet metal nut I having the material thereof surrounding the orifice dished and twisted to cause the wall of the orifice to assume such a spiral form as to freely engage said threaded portion and to grip said threaded portion with increasing tension as the nut is turned, fastening the member to the supporting structure, said nut having wrench-engaging portions, a boundary edge of at least one of which is provided with a recess to receive a conductor.

2. A device for securing a member having an externally threaded portion to a supporting structureand for making a good electrical connection between said threaded portion and a conductor, said device comprising an orificed sheet metal nut having the material thereof surrounding the orifice dished and twisted to cause the wall of the orifice to assume such a spiral form as to freely engage said threaded portion and to grip said threaded portion with increasing tension as the nut is turned, fastening the member to the supporting structure, said nut having a plurality of upstanding boundary wrench-engaging portions, at least one of said boundary portions having a slot extending inwardly from an end edge thereof to receive a conductor.

10 threaded portion with increasing tension as the nut is turned, fastening the member to the supporting structure, said nut having a plurality of upstanding boundary wrench-engaging portions, at least one of said boundary portions having a slot extending inwardly from an'end edge thereof to receive a conductor, the opening of said slot being closed by the end of the adjacent boundary memher.

JAMES ROWLAND HOTCHKIN. 10 

